On the afternoon of January 4, 2026, I stopped at the Swan Boat Landing (スワンボート乗り場) on Lake Yamanaka as the final stop of this Mount Fuji trip.
The weather was exceptionally clear. Snow-covered Mount Fuji stood sharply across the lake, while far more swans and ducks than I expected gathered near the shore.
Knowing the trip was almost over made it hard to walk back to the car. There was nothing in particular left to do. I simply stayed by the water and kept looking at the mountain.
Much closer than I expected
I had never seen swans from this close before.
The swans here were mute swans (コブハクチョウ), recognizable by their orange bills and the black knob above the base of the bill. Yamanakako Village says the local birds descend from two pairs introduced in 1968 and that the village continues to identify and manage the resident population.
From a distance they had always seemed elegant. Up close, they were much larger and stronger than I expected.
Once I had food in my hand, they came over quickly. It was funny at first, then slightly intimidating when they became determined about getting a bite. A beak even caught my jacket a few times.
Keeping a little distance and tossing the food instead made the experience much easier. Children nearby were excitedly feeding the swans and ducks too, and fish gathered in the water underneath them.
Current Lake Yamanaka tourism guidance says to use dedicated swan feed rather than bread, snacks or rice crackers.
Two swans, one heart
Then I noticed a small scene I had not been waiting for.
Two swans faced each other and curved their necks inward, briefly making a clear heart shape between them.
It lasted only a moment, which made it more fun to catch.
Ducks floated around them while winter sunlight flashed across the surface of the lake.
Mount Fuji was part of the whole scene
The landscape was what made the stop especially good.
A blue winter sky, the broad lake, swans moving slowly across the water, and Mount Fuji filling the background.
I had seen the mountain from many places on this trip, but this afternoon felt different.
Maybe because it was the last time.
There was nowhere else I needed to rush to and nothing left to add to the itinerary. With only leaving ahead of me, I ended up staying in one place longer than usual.
I would think about heading back to the car, look at Mount Fuji again, and decide to stay a little longer.
An entry arrangement I still do not quite understand
There was one awkward part of the visit.
As I tried to walk down toward the lakeshore, a man at the entrance told me I needed to buy swan feed before going in.
I could not tell whether this was an official admission arrangement or simply how the feed stand operated. I did not see another way down, so in the end I bought the food and entered.
In the official Yamanakako Village and tourism information I checked later, I could not find a rule stating that feed purchase is an official admission condition for this lakeshore access. I therefore still do not know exactly what management or business arrangement was behind what I experienced.
It felt confusing at the time, but I would probably have regretted simply turning around.
Feeding the swans, seeing them this close, and taking one last long look at Mount Fuji made this an unexpectedly enjoyable final stop.
Related Travel Tips A Two-Night Mount Fuji Road Trip: Shiraito Falls, Kawaguchiko, Fuji-Q and YamanakakoPRACTICAL INFO
- Place: Swan Boat Landing (スワンボート乗り場)
- Visited: Afternoon of Jan 4, 2026
- Area: Lake Yamanaka, Yamanakako, Yamanashi, Japan
- Swans: The birds I saw were mute swans. Yamanakako Village manages and identifies the resident population.
- Feed: Current Lake Yamanaka tourism guidance says to use dedicated swan feed and not bread, snacks or rice crackers.
- Parking: On my visit, roadside parking spaces by the lake were easy to use.
- Entry experience: On my visit, I was told to purchase feed before going down to the lakeshore. I could not find an official source stating that this is a formal admission requirement.
- Info checked: Sep 30, 2026
